• It’s superior to the average film because of Harlow, Huston, and the surprisingly busy camerawork of director Brabin (not on my radar at all and doesn’t look like he did much else)
  • Opening quote and prologue from Hoover on police—it’s an answer the little caesar and public enemy (not sure about scarface as it came out same year_
  • Its pre hays code and is pretty wild at that
  • There’s formal work here- tracking shot of guys working at police station answering the phone, shot of four detectives coming through the door, shot of four police cars coming out of the garage—my favorite is a tracking shot through the police station and the camera picks up bits and pieces of several conversations along the way like an altman film
  • Tale of two brothers and two different paths- parable
  • Subtle tracking shot through harlow’s house showing debauchery- she was the femme fatale before noir
  • Tracking shot of men in jury
  • A very nasty suicidal shootout at the end
  • Recommend but not in top 10 of 1932 after one viewing